Window-cleaner



i GRAiiAM.

WINDGW CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 1919 Patented June 3,

NN \QT Attorneys WALTER 0. GRAHAM, 01? 3411212011, VIRGINIA.

WINDOW-CLEANER Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed March 7,1919. Serial a... 281,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER C. GRAHAM,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Hampton, in the county of Elizabeth ty and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Window-Cleaner, of which the following is a' specification.

The present invention appertains to window cleaners, and aims to provide a noveland convenient device for use upon street cars, locomot1ves and elsewhere, whereby snow, rain, and other foreign matter can be readily cleaned from the outside of the ob-' servation window, in order that the motorinan, engineer, or the like, can have clear vision through the window so as to avoid collisions, wrecks, or other accidents.

it is the object of the invention to provide a device of the nature indicated which is operable in a simple and edective manner, for swabbing the outer surface of the window pane to clear the snow, rain and the dust therefrom, the operation being performed by means of steam, compressed air, or other pressure fluid, and the swab or cleaning element being limited in its advance movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window cleaner of the character indicated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, which can be readily applied to various windows, and which will serve its ofice in a highly satisfactory and ed'ective manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination and arrangement or. parts and in the details of construction, hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a front view of the window showing the device applied, portions being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2@ of Fig. l. I

in the drawing, there is illustrated. a conventional window, which may be taken to represent the window of a-street car, loco- LAna. A... All..- YMLLJIA LL M:...;!,\

embodying the casing or frame 1 and the window pane 2.

In carrying out the invention there is pro vided a cylinder 3 which as illustrated is disposed horizontally upon the outer side of the vlintel of the window casing, and this cylinder is clamped to the casing by means of suitable clamps 4. Cylinder 3 has caps 5 and 6 threadedly or otherwise fitted upon the ends thereof, andthe cylinder is provided adjacent that end having the cap 6 with a nipple 7 to which a hose or pipe 8 is connected for conveying steam, compressed air, or other pressure fluid to the cylinder, the flow of pressure fluid bein controlled by a suitable valve (not showril which may be readily controlled by the motorman, engineer or other operator. lllhe nipple 7' can extend inwardly through the casing i if desired.

The tubular plunger 9 is slidable through the cap 5 and a piston 10 is fitted upon the inner end thereof and slides in the cylinder 3 away from and toward the nipple or pressure fluid inlet 7. The other end of. the plunger 9 has a depending or angularly ascending portion 11 from which the bracket I 12 projects horizontally toward the remote end of the cylinder 3 immediately below and parallel with the cylinder, and the end of the bracket 12 has a depending arm 13 provided with an inwardly projecting portion i l to which swab or cleaning element 15 is attached. Said swab is disposed vertically and is provided with a rubber or equivalent edge bearing against the window pane 2. A guide 16 attached to the casing l remote from said swab 15 serves to guide the bracket 12 and to hold said swab against the window pane.

The swab is returned to normal or starting position by meansof a coiled wire expansion spring 17, disposed in the cylinder 3 and confined between cap 5 and piston 10.

As a means for accomplishing the escape of thepressure fluid after the swab is advanced, a certain distance, the cap 6 is pro- 4 yided with an outlet port 18, normally closed by a valve 19 seating against the inner side of the cap 6, said valve having a stem 20 slidable through the port 18 to guide the valve for movements to and from its seat. A retaining pin 21 is engaged through the end of the stem to limit the movement oi? the spring 22 is disposed around the stem 20 and is confined between therstem 20 and ca 6 to normally seat the valve 19 when it is ee to do so. The valve 19 has a loop or equivalent element 23, with which one end of an elongated loop-shaped wire or equivalent element 24 is engaged loosely, The element 24 projects longitudinally into the tubular plunger 9 past the piston 10, the inner end of said plunger being open to receive said ele-' ment'and the plunger 9 carrying the diametrical pin 25 adjacent the piston 10 which pin extends through the slot of the loop' shaped element 24. I

Normally the piston 10 is adjacent to the nipple 7 with the swab in normal position, as seen in Fig. 1, and the valve 19 is closed. Now, when theoperator desires to clean the snow, dust and other foreign matter from the outer surface of the window pane 2,

pressure fluid is admitted into the cylinder 3 byway of pipe 8 and nipple 7, and will therefore force the piston 10 and the plunger 9 away from the respective end of the cylinder. As a result, the swab 15 will be moved across the window pane, and when the pin 25 strikes the free end of the wire element 24, said element will be pulled with the pin and the plunger, thereby unseating the valve .19 and permitting the pressure fluid to escape. This prevents the excessive movement of the plunger, to avoid the excessive compression of the spring 17. Then, when the pressure fluid is shut off and permitted to esa slidable through the other end of the cylin- I the plunger is advanced a predetermined distance.

2. A window cleaner embodying a cylinder having a pressure fluid inlet and a pressure fluid outlet adjacent to one end, a tubular plunger slidable through the other end of the cylinder, a swab connected to the plunger, spring means for returning the plunger to starting position, a valve for normally closing said outlet, an element connected to the valve and extending into the plunger, and connecting means carried by the plunger and having limited sliding movement upon said element to unseat said valve.

3. A window cleaner embodying a cylinder having a pressure fluid outlet at one end and a pressure fluid inlet and outlet adjacent to said end, a tubular plungerslidable through the other end of the cylinder, a piston upon the inner end of the plunger slidable within the cylinder, a swab connected to the outer end of the plunger, a coiled wire expansion spring wit in the cylinder confined between the piston and second mentioned end of the cylinder, a valve seatable against the first mentioned end of the cylinder to close the outlet and having a stem projecting through said outlet, means car- WALTER c. GRAHAM. 

